Railroad-crossing gate



(No Model.) 2 sheets-l-sneet 1. E. PRESTON. RAILROAD CROSSING GATE.

No. 549,463. Patented Nov. 5, 1895.

ANDREW B GRAHAM. FHOTOMTHO WASHINGTUFL c 2 sheets-sheen 2.

(No Model.) y

E. PRESTON. RAILROAD CROSSING GATE.

No. 549,463. Patented NOV. 5, 1895.

/Nl/E/vro/ @h/(MAN ATTORNEYS. A

W/TNESSES: ri/mg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIOTT PRESTON, OF STURGEON, MISSOURI.

RAILROAD-CROSSING GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,463, dated November5, 1895.

Application filed May 23, 1895. Serial No. 550,427. (No model.)

T0 all whom/ t muy concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT PRESTON, of Sturgeon, in the county of Booneand State of Missouri, have invented a new and ImprovedRailroad-Crossing Gate, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-crossing gates; and ithas for its object to provide a gate which will effectually preventstock from crossing the road, and yet which will not offer anyobstruction to the passage of a train, and the object of the inventionis to provide a means for controlling the said railway-gates from thetrain and considerably in advance of the train reaching the gate eitherup or down the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a railway-crossing gatewhich will be ex ceedingly simple, durable, and economic in itsconstruction.

The invention consists in the novel con struction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved railway-gate, the gates being inclosed position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate and the trackadjacent thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the track and the gates, thegates being shown in an open position; and Fig. 4 is a transversesection through the rails of a track, the gates being in elevation andin a closed position.

In carrying out the invention the rails A of the track are laid upon theusual ties 10, and at each side of a predetermined tie the said ties aremade in two sections or are grooved longitudinally to receive each acrank-shaft B, and upon the tie at each side of which the crank shaftsare placed uprights 1l are secured, and the said uprights are adapted t0carry gates C, which close, normally, over the track, forming a barrierto the passage of stock or of individuals up or down the track, thegates being adapted t0 be opened by the action of a passing train.

Each gate is provided with a spring 12, of any approved construction,the said springs being so placed on the gates as to normally hold themclosed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and each of the crank-shafts B isprovided at its center or between the rails of the track with an uprightarm 13, preferably pointed at the top or upper end, which arms serve toinsure the opening of the gates in the proper direction either by theapproaching pilot of the engine or the brake bar or beam on a car.

At the innerl side of each rail of the track A a bar 14 is locatedparallel with the rail, and these bars are secured in any approvedmanner to crank-arms 15, which are projected upward from the shafts B,as shown in Fig. 4, and the said shafts are further provided withcrank-arms 16, which project upward at thel outside of the rails of thetrack, as is likewise shown in Fig. et, and these latter arms 16 serveto support a second 'bar' 17, likewise parallel with the rails-of thetrack. The inner bars 14 are adapted to be engaged by the flanges of thewheels of the engine and the cars ofthe train, while the outer bars 17are pressed downward by the tread of the said wheels, and while both ofthese bars are actuated in order `to operate the rock-shafts B, in theevent that one bar only should be depressed the shafts would operateequally as well, the bars being provided at each side of the railin'order to insure the operation of the device.

The outer bars 17 are provided at their eX- tremities with shoes 18, andthese shoes are more or less conveXed or curved upon their upper faces,being pivotally attached or hinged to the said rails, so that the treadof the wheels of the engine and cars will graduually ascend the shoes18, in order that they may positively travel over and vdepress the saidouter bars 17 The shoes 18 may be of any given length and be hinged tothe bar 17 at one end, the other end of said shoe being depressed,thereby forming a gradual incline on which the wheels of the engine orcarsascend and depress said outer bar 17.

The outer bars 17 have attached thereto at or near each end at theirouter faces one eX- tremity of a spring 19, and the said springs attheir other ends are secured to a convenient tie, the springs being madeto incline upwardly and inwardly in direction of the gates. Thecrank-shafts B at each side of the gate ICO are provided at each endwith a pitman or connecting-rod 20, and these rods are preferably madein two sections a, and a', having sliding engagements with one another,their movement being limited both forward and rearward by means of stops21 and 22, and the opposing ends of the said pitmen or connectin g-rods2O are pivotally attached to an angled lever 23, secured one to thepivot-post of each of the gates Therefore, in operation, when a train isapproaching a gate from either the up or the down portion of the trackand. as soon as the wheels strike either the inner or the outer bars 1iand 17 the rock-shafts willv be rotated in direction of the gates andthe gates will be forced open through the medium of the connecting-rodsor pitmen 20, the upper sections of the pitmen at the sides of the gatesat which the train is approaching having bearing against the stops :'32,the sections of the opposing pitmen having movement upon each other, andconsequentl'yv the gates will be forced open in advance of the train andheld open until the train has passed between them, at which time thesprings 1S) will restore the rock-shafts to their normal position andwill assist the springs 12 of the gates in closing the same, since ineach operation of the traclc bars 11 and 1T the springs 1f) at one sideof the gates will be expanded and the springs at the other sidedepressed, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

This device is exceedingly simple, durable, and economic, and isapplicable to any railway. It will be an efficient barrier for cattle,preventing them from traveling1 along the track, and at the same timethe railway-gate will olfer no resistance to the passage of a traintraveling in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby `Letters Patent- Y 1. The'eombination with a railway track, of gatesmounted to swing over the track being normally closed or in transversealignment, rock shafts journaled beneath the rails of the track, thesaid rock shafts being provided with upwardly projecting crank arms,bars secured to the said crank arms and adapted to be depressed by t-hewheels of a passing train, connecting rods uniting the said rock shaftswith the said gates whereby the gates will be opened when the bars aredepressed to admit of the passa-ge of a train, and springs connected tothe said bars and to a ixed support for restoring the rock shafts totheir normal position, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the rails of a track, gates held to swingacross the said track, being normally held in a closed position, rockshafts provided with spurs located between the rails of the track, therock shafts being journaled beneath the said rails, of bars carried bythe said shafts, parallel with the rails and adapted to be depressed bythe wheels of a passing train, sectional connecting rods uniting thepivots of the gate with adjacent rock shafts, the sections of the said.rod having sliding movement one on the other, and means, substantiallyas described, for restoring the bars pressed by the said wheels to theirnormal position and closing the said gates, as and for the purpose setforth.

53. The combination with the rails of a railway track, of rock shaftsjournaled beneath the said rails, bars attached to crank arms on saidrock shafts, the said bars being located parallel with and at oppositesides of the rails, gates normally located over the said track, andconnecting rods formed in sect ions having sliding movement uponeachother, and connecting the rock shafts and the said gates, wherebythe gates are opened when the bars are depressed, as and for the purposespecified.

4. The combination, with the rails of a track and rock shafts providedwith crank arms journaled beneath the tread of the said rails, ofspring-controlled gates extending across the track, being normally in aclosed position, trip bars connected with the crank arms of the saidrock shaftslocated at each side of the rails and parallel therewith,sectional connecting rods connecting the adjacent rock shafts with thepivots of the said gates, the sections of the rods having slidingmovement upon each other, and springs attached to iixed supports and toone of the said bars, one set of springs being contracted and the otherset expanded under the operation of the hars, as and for the purpose setforth.

The combination, with the rails of a railway track, rock shaftsjournaled beneath the tread of the said rails and provided withextensions between the said rails normally upwardly inclined, and crankarms at each side of the said extensions, gates extending across thesaid track, and springs normally closing the said. gates, of barslocated parallel with each rail, one at its outer and the other atitsinner side, the inner bars being adapted to be engaged by the flange ofthe wheels of a passing train and the outer bars by the tread of thesaid wheels, shoes connected with the ends of the outer bars, having theinclined edge presented to the wheels of a passing train, collapsibleconnecting bars connected with the pivot points of the gates and withthe said shafts, and springs connected with the said ba-rs, normallyholding them raised and adapted to return them to their normal position,as and for the purpose set forth.

ELLIOTT PRESION. lVitnesses:

J. M. MATTENLEE, A. W. CANADA.

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